The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-08

com pany to be called the Memphis
Bridge Company" or else they will
sndeavor TO have Taylor's bill
amended 90 as TO give to any railroad
company which chooses TO enter, the
right to psrticip ate in the use and
ownership Of the bridge on paying its
pro rata share OF its CO t; either course
would obvists the difficulty.
WI P. FLOWER I'd BIZ SUPPORTED.
The Tennessee delegation have
unanimously agreed 10 support the
name OF Mr.. W. p. Flower, of Memphis,
10 be the msser of the tender in the
servics iof the Lighthouse Board in
the new Memphis District.
COAST DEFKssEs.
The Conference Committee on the
fortifcation appropriation bill today
heard several pereons upon the sub
ject OF coast defense. Lieut.. ZIlinsky
described the ex perrin ents he had been
making With his dynamite gun and
outlined plan OF defense, based upon
the uss Of that instrument OF warfare,
while Gen. Bsnet, Col. Dana aud Capt.
Smith suggested methods by which
the war material now on hand may be
utiliz d.
MATTHKws's RKNoMINATIoN.
The document prepared by Senator
Ingalls, and offered ia the shape OF q
resolution regarding the rejection by
the Senate Of Matthews, colored, to be
Recorder OF Deeds Of the District of
Columbia, was today adopted by the
Senate-26 to Is Ia party vote) and
will be sent 10 the President with the
rejection. The document is in part as
follows:
The President attempts to- nttify the
denomination Of Matthews by stating:
/. That the ftne Of this nominee
has been demonstrated.
2. That the prev Gus opposition to
his appointment among the citizens of
the District has largely sub;ided.
3 That be desires in this way to
tender just recognition and good faith
toward our colored citizsn s.
II is sufficient answer to the first
two easons alleged 10 cay that neither
could have been applicable when Mat.
thews was app 1inted in August, imme-
diately after the adj ;utnment OF the
Senate, for at that time his fitness had
not been demonstr ted, nor had there
been any interval for local opposition
to suhside. Until suggested by the
President the Senate was not aware
that the question Of just recognition
or good faith to our colored fellow cit
izsps" WIS involved in the question,
and il has never before been urged
that PERSONS nomination for office
should b. confirmed or eiscted be
cause he was black oP white. This
classification has been abolished by
the suppression OF the rebellion and by
the amendments OF the constitution
aud is no longer properly to be recog-
Dized in dealing with public sffairs.
The Senate, however, in view OF the
message Of the President, cannot for
bear 10 apprise him, since he has
raised the race issue, that Frederick
Douglas, was, 1t is understood, re-
quested to resign the Office OF Recorder
OF Deeds in the District OF Columbia
in order that James @. Matthews
might be appointed to the place.
Without doubt Frederick Douglass is
the most distinguished repre- sentative
OF the colored race, not in this coun-
try only, but In the world Gust rec
ognition" would have been rendered
to our colored fellow citizens by the
retention OF Frederick Douglass rather
than by his enforced retirement in or
der to reward an unknown
ard obscure partisan who had
never been slave, and therefore
represented the eDfranchised race only
by the accident of color. The devo
,ion of the President to the polite al
and civil Advancement OF the colored
race might have been equally attested
and good faith might have been as
strongly eviDced in the retention oil
Douglass in the Office, whose duties he
was performing to the satisfaction oil
the people, unless il is to be uuder-
stood that "just recognition" is to be
rendered only 20 those members OF
that race who are supposed to enter.
tain particular political opin
ions. In such a casa the is-
sue OF race disappears,
and the test is politics. The Senate
has no official information other than
| ihdb AOubhlhtu III buff DlCCbbkO vi blit
President, whether M tthews is white
or black He is admitted to be citi-
zsn Of New York. The office to which
he is nom mated is strictly local. The
compensation for the performance OF
its duties is MT paid by the govern
meut, but mainly by citizens of the
District Of Columbia having papers to
be recorded therein. His confirma-
tion is opposed with substantial uuan.
unity by the citizens OF the District
without regard to color, politics or
occupation.
THE CONGRESSIONAL PRoGRAMME FOR
THE WEEK.
Quite large amount Of important
work has been laid out by the Senate
for the coming week, but the order in
which measures are 10 follow each
other has not been fixed. The morn.
ing hour for each day is 10 be devoted
to the reconsideration OF measures which
have passed the House and been re
ported favorably by Senate commit
tees.
AT 2o'clock tomorrow the bill grant
ing charter to the Es3s ship railway,
| winch IL Tue uhnnleneu business, Will
be laid before the Senate. Should
this bill be passed oy the Senate it is
the purpose of the friends of the Mica
rauRua canal bill to call up that meas
ure as soon as possible, holding that
the rival projects to which these two
bills are designed to give government.
al recognition should be treated alike
and impartially.
Senator HAwley has given notice of
his purpose to call up forthwith one Of
the two bills to encourage the manu-
facture OF ordnance, to be followed
Immediately by the other. One of
these measures relates to the army
ard the other to the navy ordnance.
They W re introduced by Senator Cam
eron in December, 1885, and were re-
ported from the Committee on Coast
defenses last May. The two measures
(which are parts Of one general
scheme), appropriate $S,000,00 each.
An amendment to the one which re-
lstel to the army has been offered by
Senator Dolph, and reported fIvorsbly
| by the COMMITTEES on Coast Defenses.